Teen Dating Violence

Teen dating violence is defined as the physical, sexual or psychological/emotional violence within a dating relationship, as well as stalking.

It can occur in person or electronically and may occur between a current or former dating partner.

In a nationwide survey, 9.4 percent of high school students report being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend with the past 12 months. Source: CDC

Approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the U.S. is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner – a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth. Source: The National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2008

One in five youth between the ages of 13 and 14 say their friends are victims of dating violence, such as getting struck, hit or slapped by a boyfriend or girlfriend, and nearly half of all tweens in relationships say they know friends who are verbally abused. Source: TRU study for Liz Claibourne, Inc. & Nat’l NTDA Helpline, 2008